I think everyone knows about "the spot", that is, the spot in the yard where we get really great service with another cellular carrier. I even have a table set up so that I could chat when I absolutely had to, and then I just avoided talking on my cell the rest of the time. With Verizon I get incredible coverage everywhere in the house and I have tested the network out on three Metra lines around Chicago-- even drove around the great beyond that is NW Illinois up to Wisconsin.
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| It's a mobile hotspot, y'all! |
So, I thought I would share a couple business apps that I have just fallen in love with. And maybe I am behind everyone else in finding these, but now that I have an incredible smartphone to use all of them with, I am amazed by how quickly and easily I can get things done.
CamScanner
Have you ever had to scan and fax something when you weren't in the office? It seems like those ubber important things always need to be taken care of when I am at home or on the road, nowhere near a scanner or fax machine. The Galaxy S3 has an 8mp camera, that's better than the point and shoot I bought myself last year, so it makes it super easy to scan all those annoying documents and turn them into PDFs.
InstaPaper
I hate dealing with an overstuffed email account, especially when I have been working from home for a couple days and neglect the inbox. 9 times out of 10 there is a link to something that needs to be read or looked over at some point, just not now. All that goes into my Instapaper account, for perusing when I have down time. The screen on the Samsung Galaxy 3 is so much bigger and brighter that I don't have any problems reading on it like I did with my other phones.
Dragon Microphone
I have been a fan of Dragon Dictation for a while now, but the need for a microphone came up during a work session at home. This app worked great with the phone and I didn't have a single problem during the entire time I was using it. I have actually been trying to find more ways to use it because its such a neat little app.
Square
This one I don't really use from home, but I can use it on the go-- and plan to use it like mad in the next couple of months. When you need to do shows and process a payment on the spot, Square lets you do that with a smartphone and their card reader. The funny thing about the few times I have pulled out my phone to use this, is that folks are suddenly more interested in my phone than whatever it is that they are buying so I need to show them the cool features and technology Samsung has come up with.
Skype
I have been a Skype user since the beginning, back when none of my friends saw the need for Skype and I only ever Skyped with work contacts overseas. Now everyone Skypes, all the time. I even Skype with the girls when we are all in the house!
The S3 has a huge 4.8 inch screen, so I can see and read off of it perfectly fine. This also means that it is great for any important Skype session I need to do for work, where I can keep my desktop running the spreadsheets I need to reference and then use the S3 to Skype. And the Verizon Network? Well, I am no longer the one logging on and off Skype sessions, lol.
So really, do I even need my iPad anymore?
So there you have it folks, 5 apps that make working from home super easy paired with a phone and network that keep me efficient. Not sure why there is even the need for an office these days! Oh, and now I need to find another excuse to get out of some of those tiny annoying tasks that I avoided, because if I could "work" from the waterpark, I can work rink side while someone takes lessons that are smack in the middle of the workday-- or so they tell me. :)
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| The view from my lounge chair office for the day :) |
